You've arrived at a community of people with an interest in activities collectively referred to as BDSM. Literally speaking, BDSM is an amalgam of first letter of each of the words Bondage, Domination, Sadism, and Masochism. In real life it's much more than that, it's a thriving community of people around the world with a shared interest in activities which add excitement, energy, and intimacy to their lives and relationships.

If you're new to the world of BDSM you're taking the first steps to exploring an exciting lifestyle which plays an important part in the lives of a great many people. Read their profiles and journals, watch and listen to what they have to say. As you become familiar with the community it's important to keep in mind two of the most important principles in BDSM:

SSC - Safe, Sane, and Consensual

SSC is a cornerstone principle of BDSM and it stands for Safe, Sane, and Consensual. When a person makes the choice to engage in BDSM activities with another person at the helm they're putting trust in that person just as one does when choosing to be a passenger in a car whilst another person is driving. In both cases the person behind the wheel has a responsibility to keep the other person safe. That's what SSC is all about.

Tolerance

Another cornerstone principle of BDSM is to be accepting and not disparage the interests and explorations of other persons in the community. There are a multitude of different people with a shared interest in BDSM and each of these persons brings with them their own perspective and history. Your personal exploration of BDSM may take you down a different path than another person but it's important to always be tolerant of the roads travelled by other members of the community.

First Steps

As you're getting your bearings on Collarspace here are some steps which we recommend you consider:

Create an Account

Collarspace operates a little differently from some other websites in that you can have an account with or without a profile. Creating an account is simple, just click on the "Join our Community" button on the left-hand side of the website. Once created your account will allow you to interact with other users in the chatrooms, post on the Collarchat discussion forums, and access all areas of the website. It's a step we encourage you to take.

Create a Profile

If you decide that you're ready to start getting to know other members of the BDSM community, nearby and around the world, that's the time to create a profile. You can put as much or as little information about yourself in your profile as you'd like. Along with your profile, your account will give you the opportunity to keep a journal of your BDSM explorations and experiences.

Discussion Forums

The Collarchat discussion forums are the public square of our community where you'll see people expressing themselves on a wide variety of topics. On Collarchat you'll find that the interests of people in the community, while inclusive of BDSM, extend to everything from politics to religion to nano-technology.

Chatrooms

Our chatrooms are the place where you can interact in real time with other members of the community. Regular users in chatrooms sometimes take a little time to get used to a new face so if you decide to go to the chatrooms, we recommend that you observe the conversation for your first few visits, be patient, and seek out assistance if you need help.

A few words about online safety

We provide information throughout the site to help you stay safe online. You'll also find important safety information on our Help page. We encourage you to take advantage of these resources.

See you out there!

Again, we welcome you to the site and hope that you enjoy your time with us.